Please thank Melitta Bentz!

MelittaBentz created something that is essential to Philz Coffee (as well as other filter-brewed coffees, of course!) — can you guess by her first name? It’s a definite hint! She invented the coffee filter back in 1908!

She was trying to find a better brewing solution than percolating or french press. She used blotting paper from her son’s school notebook to filter the grounds in a brass pot with a hole in the bottom. It turned out that this technique for making coffee made it less bitter and more flavorful.